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Winter's almost over! Here are some little ways you can make the most of the season's end:

-Build a snow fort
-Escape to someplace warm
-Bundle up and explore your city
-Have a hot chocolate party
-Make plans for Easter/Ostara/Passover
-Go for an early morning walk and watch the sunrise
-Start making an action plan for next winter, so you'll be ready to battle SAD
-Make an inspiration board starring your body love icons
-Shop for boots or a winter coat. They start to go on sale at the end of the season. Excellent!
-Make an Easter wreath or garland. Or maybe some Peeps s'mores?

Good morning, darlings! Did you watch the Oscars last night? I missed the first half (though I caught up on the good stuff later on), but had my eyes glued to the screen when Jennifer Lawrence won Best Actress. I'd say that, and Seth MacFarlane's singing and dancing were the highlights, for me. How about you?

If you missed the show and want to catch up, or simply want to relive the magic, check out these links:

♥ Spring is coming! It doesn't feel like it yet-- think icy sidewalks and chilly weather-- but I remain optimistic. I dream of pastel manicures, flirty pinks and sky blues, blooming flowers and outdoor picnics.

♥ Brunch with my dad. Last weekend we dined on amazing Atlantic salmon eggs Florentine and peppermint tea while we caught up. I love that, both being adults now, we're closer than we were when I was a teenager. Now, I look forward to the time we spend together.

Tangle Jr. -- These make great fidget toys for people with anxiety or impulse control disorders. Brita bottle -- Buy yours here! Free shipping on Canadian orders $25+. Practical, portable, and it makes tap water taste good.Troll dolls -- How could you not smile when you see these?!Old Navy polar fleece scarf -- The scarf pictured is similar. Cozy, practical and cute.Striped sweaters -- See above! Cozy, practical and cute.Blue glitter nail polish -- I like Nails Inc's "Royal Arcade".Lap desk -- It helps keep my laptop from overheating, and is comfortable for hours. Dairy Milk Cookie Crunch -- Yum. Just yum.Sparkly hair clips -- Mine were a gift, but you can get some at the dollar store (!!), Ardene or Etsy.

Want your product or site featured in this new series of monthly favourites? Contact me for information.Full disclosure: I purchased all of these items myself (unless otherwise specified). This post is not sponsored in any way, however an affiliate link is included in this post. Thanks for supporting Polish and Sparkle!

If you have trich, some of these ideas might work for you-- I know many of them have helped me!

Treatment Options:

-Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. CBT is known for treating many illnesses, including anxiety, depression and fibromyalgia. I had a huge breakthrough in my treatment for trich during a CBT session, and have encountered studies and individuals who tout its efficacy. Ask your GP, psychologist or psychiatrist for a referral to a certified CBT practitioner for group or individual sessions.

-Medication. The bad news: there's no special pill that will stop you from pulling your hair. The good news: some medications which help anxiety, depression or other mental illnesses can aid in treatment of trichotillomania, too. If you are already on medication for a comorbid condition, chances are its positive effects will spread to your hair-pulling. When one illness is especially bad, others are, too; when one is successfully treated, you'll see an improvement in others, too.

-Alternative therapies. Many people have had success with alternative therapies, such as herbal remedies or different types of psychology/talk therapy. Ask your doctor if one of these may benefit you.

-Support groups. Improve your self-image, meet others with similar situations and share ideas that have helped you cope. This is an excellent way to make friends who 'get' what you're going through, too.

Meanwhile, find some coping strategies that work for you. (These are meant to help control symptoms, rather than treat the underlying illness). Below are a whole bunch for you to try.

Coping Strategies:

-Play with fidget toys-- a slinky, silly putty, a bracelet...

-Talk to someone you trust (especially if they have a similar disorder).

-Create a barrier between your fingers and the area you usually pull from. Wear a hoodie, gloves, bandanna or a hat.

-Pay attention to when and where you usually pull. Sometimes awareness is enough to stop pulling.

-Set small, measurable goals. "I will not pull for the next hour", or "I will not pull more than twice today". Continually raise the bar, and celebrate when you succeed.

We who battle mental illness will continue to do so for the rest of our lives. There's no cure. That's fact-- Just like we didn't choose to be born with a gene that predisposes us to mental illness, and/or didn't choose to experience the trauma that led to our developing a mental illness.

There is one matter in which we have a choice, though: we can choose to thrive. Some days will be hard. Some weeks, some months, maybe some years. And we might have to work harder than most.

But that's okay.

What I've learned, in my 20 years as a mental illness survivor is that hopefulness, self-love and persistence can take you far. Much farther than you ever dreamed.

Dream.

And then, work toward your goals.

You can do this. Recovery (and a happy life) is in your grasp. Don't let anything (illness or otherwise) stop you. You can do this.

Carol Tice says it's necessary to invest money in your freelance business start-up; you can't start sans funding. What do you think? My opinion: starting a freelance writing biz requires much less cash than other types of businesses, but it does require some. "If your bank account is empty, do you have to give up your freelance writing dream? Not necessarily." She goes on to list ways to cope with lack of funding, including lowering your expenses and relying on credit cards-- both of which I've done, unfortunately. Difficult, but doable. Your thoughts?

Red,White & Disney. The day I wore this outfit. I was in Florida-- at Disney World's Epcot, to be precise-- the sun was shining, and I was extraordinarily happy. What a perfect day for a comfy, laid-back, boldly coloured outfit.

Note: This post may be triggering due to mention of suicidal thoughts.When I was 16, I believed there were only two possibilities: by 21, I'd have it all figured out, or I'd be dead.

Around that time I took a CBT class, which went through all the major psychological coping mechanisms. What I didn't know then, was that one of them-- black and white, or 'all or nothing' thinking (also known as 'splitting')-- perfectly described what I was thinking-- and was a symptom of Borderline Personality Disorder, which, at the time, I did not believe I had.

On my way to class each Wednesday, I wrestled with this thought: 'I have to try my best, because this class might be my last hope. If I fail, I'll have no more options and I'll never be able to cope with my mental illness and then I'll have to kill myself'.

No rational thought could stop this pattern. I couldn't process that there's a grey area between success and failure, between success and suicide. That's black and white thinking.

I definitely didn't want to die, and I wasn't being dramatic, either. I was just so depressed, and overwhelmed by my untreated BPD, that I couldn't see a third option.

I wish I could hug my teenage self, tell her to hold on, because there's so much life she hasn't experienced yet. Most importantly, I wish I could tell her that, for certain now, I know therapy works, and antidepressants work, and believing in yourself works.

Whatever stage you're at in fighting your illness, I want you to know this: It's possible to recover. Even if you need medication (or don't). Even if you need therapy (or don't). Even if you don't believe in yourself at first. Even if you stumble sometimes (I know I still do!).

The world is not all black and white. Accept that there's an in-between, and believe that you deserve and can achieve amazing things (including recovery). Then, you'll thrive.

'Oh, yeah, absolutely. At one point, ‘feminist’ became a pejorative
term. How did that happen? If you’re a feminist, you’re basically saying
you’re a humanist...'.
-Julianne Moore, when asked if she's a feminist.

Then, she continues:

'That’s why the issue of gay marriage is so important
to me. It’s about everybody having the same shot at everything, at
work, at marriage, at life'.

Shouldn't it be that easy? Everyone deserves equal rights. End of discussion.

My cat, who spent all day yesterday alternating between ignoring and hissing at me, is currently sitting in a little fuzzy black ball, purring. He keeps getting up and headbutting my elbow, which makes it really difficult to type! He's adorable, though, so I have to forgive him.

This week hasn't been nearly as productive as I'd have liked, in part because I spent so much time beating myself up about not being productive. Isn't it ridiculous that we humans do that?

Nonetheless, here are the highlights of my week:

♥ Wednesday night dinner with my dad. We went from being really close when I was a kid, to not speaking at all when I was a teenager, to actually liking each other again, now. I have a lot of hope for our future. Deep down, I'm still my Daddy's little girl (even if I'm not so little any more.. emotionally or physically).♥ Finishing my stint as i.seeKissimmee's guest blogger. It was great to not only go 'home' to Central Florida, but to be published on a major tourism site as well. That's huge! Thank you for the experience, Kissimmee CVB!♥ ...can I say getting cuddles from Edward counts as a highlight of my week? Ijustlovehimsomuch (see opening of this blog post...).

& super mega love for:

♥ The sweetest texts from Tush. ♥ Dressing Edward up in a little red hat. Tee hee. ♥ Starting to plan my next trip-- yes, I already have itchy feet! ♥ Finally posting this (the topic has been on my mind for ages). ♥ Lemon chicken, soft noodles and garlic brocoli ♥ February. That means winter is almost over! I'm trying not to wish time away, but winter is hard for me. ♥ Valentine's Day is coming up! I don't have anything planned, but I'm excited anyway. I like pink, candy and sappy movies. C'est parfait. ♥ Polish & Sparkle has a new header! I hope you like it. ♥